


Untangle to Wait, Unravel to See

by hailqiqi



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Disney References, Dramatic Irony, F/M, Feelings Realization, Fortune Telling, Soulmates, Space food, Worldbuilding, disney disney everywhere and not a drop to drink, lance pov, well for hunk at least, why did I waste so many words about food
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-12
Updated: 2018-06-12
Packaged: 2019-05-21 12:52:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14915724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hailqiqi/pseuds/hailqiqi
Summary: When a slightly creepy alien offers to tell the Garrison Trio's fortunes, Lance is 99% sure he's got a future filled with hot babes in store.  Turns out fortunes are a whole lot less exciting than that, and a whole lot more enigmatic to boot.





	Untangle to Wait, Unravel to See

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the Plance zine! Which was a hell of a lot of fun to work on and is full of awesome art and fic by some very talented people. Thank you everyone for letting me take part!
> 
>  
> 
> Massive thanks go to RadiantCerulean for beta-ing this thing like a bajillion times and coming up with the summary! The woman's a genius.
> 
> Also shout-out to Mod S, fiordilatte, morie_mordant and mistyhollowdrummer for their advice and encouragement. 
> 
> This fic can also be known as: The one where Hail attempts to shove way too much into a one-shot, proves she has a thing for icy worlds and tropes, and almost gave up on writing altogether.
> 
> Enjoy!

Lance doubted that the little fried dough-balls would be able to keep him warm in the arctic but the vendor had _promised_ they would, so he shoved one into his mouth anyway.

The effect was instantaneous. Savoury spices exploded on his tongue and liquid heat rushed down his throat to settle in his belly, warming him from the inside out and making him moan with pleasure.

He needed more of these, _now_.

Lance stuffed his mouth with more of them, grinning around his mouthful as Hunk flashed him a thumbs-up. “Hunk, buddy, these were a great call.”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full. It’s gross,” Pidge chided.

Hunk let out a laugh, spraying bits of chew-ball everywhere in the process, and Pidge wrinkled her nose in disgust. Lance swallowed a chuckle and turned his attention back to the street, intent on taking in the sights on a rare afternoon off.

The capital city of Churrea was a winding maze of black tents, cobweb-like threads and glittering snow. The Churreans themselves were a lizard-like race with iridescent scales who undulated as they spoke and wore heavy black cloaks embroidered with more luminescent spider-silk. Throw in the perpetually twilit sky and cobbled streets and you got an ethereal, mystical place that somehow managed to make both your jaw drop and your hair stand on end.

It was _totally_ Lance’s aesthetic.

He suspected his friends were similarly entranced by the environment, judging by how quickly they had agreed to go exploring with him. So far they’d checked out a bazaar full of fabrics, had walked along the riverside marvelling at the icy waters, and were now weaving their way through teeming streets lined with a mish-mash of stands offering food, toys, and what looked like facials.

“I wonder what these guys have against real buildings?” Hunk mused aloud as he fished another chew-ball from his bag. “I mean, I think the tents look cool, but wouldn’t they be cold?”

Pidge shrugged and pointed at the shining threads woven into the fabric. “Aren’t those threads made of quintessence? They probably help keep the houses warm.”

The trio paused to study the tent Pidge was pointing at. Like all the others, it was made of black fabric embroidered with silver threads, which were apparently quintessence spun into thread (though Lance had no clue how anybody could physically _weave_ magical life forces). More quintessence threads hung from the doors, windows and eaves, swaying in the slight breeze like dazzling cobwebs. If Tiffany’s ever got into the Hallowe’en decoration business, Lance suspected the results would look a lot like Churrea.

The scrunch of Hunk balling up his empty bag ripped Lance from his thoughts. “So, what now? What else do you guys think they’ve got around here?”

Lance eyed the cobwebs. “D’you think they’d have real magic? Like fortune-telling?” A thought struck him and he bounced on the balls of his feet. “Hey, what about love potions?!”

Pidge scoffed and turned to survey the market. “That junk’s not real, Lance. You know that.”

“Hey, magical flying robots are real, so why not fortune-telling?”

“He’s got a point,” Hunk said. Lance finger-gunned him. “I don’t see any fortune tellers in the market, though…”

“There’s gotta be one. Just look at this place!” He spread his arms wide, spinning in a slow circle as he spoke. “It’s the _exact_ type of place where you run into a spooky witch who’ll tell you all about your soulmates and heroic exploits and–”

“Paladins of Voltron. Would you like some guidance on your paths?”

All three of them jumped, their hands instinctively flying to their bayards.

A short Churrean studied them with large, pale eyes from the doorway of a nearby tent, her hood lowered. She stood perfectly still.

How long had she been watching them?

Pidge spoke first. “What?”

“Would you like some guidance on your paths?” the Churrean repeated softly, lithe form swaying with the words. “The threads of destiny are bound more tightly around you three than most. Unravelling them would be a most interesting exercise.”

Hunk eased his stance. “Assistance is always welcome, uh, Ma’am? But what kind of guidance are we talking about here? We’re not lost, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

A smile curved across her scaly face and Lance suppressed a shudder. Lizard-people shouldn’t _smile_. “The guidance I offer can help you in many ways, Paladin. Knowing that a burden will be lifted can make it easier to bear, and knowing the path ahead can make it easier to travel.”

Lance narrowed his eyes. “So it’s just like fortune-telling?”

The Churrean nodded. Hunk slapped his shoulder with a whoop, and Lance forced himself to relax. Of course a fortune teller would appear as soon as he started talking about one. They were on a magical world with magical aliens and Lance was like, the hero of the story, so it made sense that events would be tied to his dialogue. Most importantly, _it was not creepy at all_ , and anyone who said Lance was creeped out could go suck it.

This whole fortune-telling thing?  It was gonna be _awesome_.

Pidge raised an eyebrow at the Churrean and turned away. “No, thanks.”

“Aw, c’mon Pidge,” Lance cajoled, channeling the suave, heroic knight he was. “There’s no need to be scared, I’ll protect ya.”

“I’m not scared,” she scowled. “I just have better things to do.”

“Better things than finding out about your future? But what if you have a soulmate?” Lance said dramatically, grabbing at his heart. “Pidge, they might be waiting for you but you don’t know where to look!"

Pidge deadpanned. “I’m...pretty sure that’s not how that works.”

Hunk cut in before he could think up a good reply. “It doesn’t matter. We probably don’t have enough money left anyway.”

“Voltron has done much for my planet,” said the Churrean, replacing her cowl as she stepped aside and beckoned them towards the opening. “Please, allow me to repay some of that debt.”

Pidge narrowed her eyes, frowning, but Hunk had perked up at the mention of ‘free’. “Aw, Pidge, why not? It shouldn’t take long, and we were trying to think of something to do next anyway.”

Sighing, Pidge started towards the tent. “Come on, then. Let’s go meet our soulmates or whatever.”

Lance grinned. He was _so_ glad they went exploring today.

 

 

\--

 

 

Something about the inside of the tent – the atmosphere, probably – reminded Lance irrepressibly of the witch’s house in _Pirates of the Caribbean_.

The walls were lined with silk fabrics in various colours, and the only other furnishing in the room was a large rug in the middle of the floor. Lance had expected candles, but instead the space was lit entirely by the glow from the quintessence threads in the rug, which were so densely woven that it might as well have been pure quintessence.

A shiver ran up his spine as he lowered himself to the floor. The place was _ethereal_.

“Lance! Your love potions!”

Pidge pointed to where a blue curtain stood slightly askew, revealing shelves crowded with spindly bottles full of shimmering liquids. Lance smirked. “Which one do you think will get me a girlfriend?”

He didn’t get a chance to find out.

“Green Paladin, would you like to go first?”

Pidge startled and turned back to Tia Dalma, tilting her head to the side and nodding slowly. Lance was pretty sure he knew what she was gonna say next.

“How does this work, exactly?”

_Boom, headshot._

Tia Dalma angled her head to match Pidge’s, a smile barely visible in the shadow of her hood. “I follow the threads of your quintessence, and assist you to identify the obstacles that will prevent you from your optimal path.”

Pidge frowned. “How is that even possible? I thought quintessence was an energy inside your body.”

“Quintessence comes in many forms. Some internal. Some external.”

“Why would a person have external quintessence? That makes no sense.”

Lance snorted into his hand. Very little of their lives made logical sense, but _that_ wa _s_ the part Pidge had a problem with?

The Churrean swayed from side to side, opening her arms wide as she spoke. “There is an external quintessence which binds you to all things in the universe, to planets and objects and people. It weaves a many- _ilmin_ web, tying together critical moments to create the path of destiny.”

“Ooh, like when you and Keith said we’re all connected!” Hunk interjected. “Remember that?”

“Yes…” Pidge said carefully, though she still looked troubled. “But doesn’t that mean that everything’s predetermined, and our choices are meaningless?”

“No.” Tia Dalma shook her head firmly. “At each junction there are many possible outcomes. Each being has an ideal path and many less-ideal possibilities. Your path is determined by your choices.”

Pidge opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. Lance could see the gears turning in her head like millions of ants on tiny treadmills, running double-time as she tried to make sense of everything; alas, it looked like the magic of quintessence was beyond even Pidge's understanding. Huh.

"Go on, Pidge,” he said, gently nudging her in the side. “Quit asking questions and just let her do the magic already!"

A laugh spilled from Pidge’s lips and her shoulders relaxed. She nodded. "Okay then."

Lance kept his grin to himself. Score one for not-science.

Tia Dalma lowered her hood and reached her hands down towards Pidge, stopping just short of cupping Pidge’s face in her palms. Iridescent eyelids closed over pale eyes and a second later Pidge gasped sharply, eyes snapping shut, shoulders shifting minutely with discomfort.

Lance exchanged a worried glance with Hunk, but Tia Dalma spoke before they had a chance to intervene. "You are waiting for two men."

Pidge eyes flew open and immediately narrowed. "No. I was looking for two, but I found one. Now I'm just looking for one. I’m not _waiting_ for anybody."

Tia Dalma shook her head, her robe swaying with the action. "No. You are waiting for two. One to whom you were born, and one to whom you are bound. Neither can be found until they are ready, and so you must wait."

"'One to whom you were born' must mean your dad, but ‘bound’...?" Hunk mused, a hand on his chin as he glanced at the other two. “Any ideas?”

Lance shrugged, and Pidge shook her head. "What does ‘bound’ mean?"

"That your souls are inextricably linked, that you must find each other to be complete in this life, and all others. It is something to be grateful for; few are so lucky."

"So it _is_ like a soulmate!" Lance crowed. Tia Dalma blinked her large eyes, nodding slowly, and he bumped his shoulder against Pidge’s with a grin. “Aw, Pidge, looks like you’re gonna fall in luurve.”

Pidge waved a hand dismissively at him, her gaze on her ankles, but her cheeks were most definitely red. Hah.

"So, uh... Why am I waiting for both of them? Can't I just go and get them?"

“You are a brave warrior: capable, smart, and destined for glory. But this you have never doubted,” Tia Dalma replied.

Pidge simply nodded. Lance felt a pang of jealousy.

“The first is not ready and will not be found until he is -- seeking will bear no fruit but distraction. The second is busying himself with shimmering lights, chasing fantasies he does not covet and lives that would bring no satisfaction. When he is ready he will See, and he will come to you."

"That sounds a lot like I don't get a say in any of that."

The response was gentle. "You must wait, Green Paladin, for waiting is a skill that the universe requires that you learn. Time spent waiting is not time wasted, particularly for one such as yourself." Tia Dalma turned away, ignoring the way Pidge's lips twisted with distaste, and Lance straightened up as she surveyed him. Did he have a soulmate too?

"Yellow Paladin."

Lance slumped as Hunk squealed. "Ooh, it’s my go! So, what are you going to tell me? Do I have a soulmate too?"

Tia Dalma reached for him and closed her eyes, the same way she'd reached for Pidge. Hunk's eyes closed as a jolt rippled through his body, then slowly opened as the Churrean's arms fell.

What the heck was she doing when she did that?

"You are a strong warrior – and a necessary support for your team. As the Green Paladin must learn to Wait, you must learn to Understand. While you have grown from the boy you were, you will grow still, until you command the respect of a thousand armies."

 _Woah_. Cool. Hunk blinked at her, looking way too shocked in Lance's opinion. "What about the soulmate thing?"

"You are not soul-bound," Tia Dalma responded, not unkindly. "But you have love, and laughter, and family. Your path has a happy ending, Paladin, if you only learn to trust yourself."

Hunk nodded, looking pensive, and the Churrean _finally_ turned to Lance. "Now you, Blue Paladin..." She reached for him, and Lance felt a weird tingle run through his body, like trickles of water flowing through his veins and touching every fibre of his being, invasive and familiar at the same time. He shuddered.

The sensation left as quickly as it had come and his eyes opened (when had they closed?). Energy – quintessence, probably – poured off him in threads, connecting him to everyone in the room, to the Churreans wandering around outside, to all the peoples in the universe, to Earth, to his family, to his friends, and to Blue. The strings were completely invisible, but that didn't make them any less tangible – Lance could _feel_ them, he could _see_ them in his mind’s eye. It was like being in Voltron but...bigger. Less self, more Voltron… Or in this case, more _everything_.

For the first time, Lance understood what Pidge and Keith had been talking about with all that cosmic dust mumbo jumbo.

"Blue Paladin, you are strong, skilled and worthy," Tia Dalma began, the swaying of her body matching the lilt of her voice. "More importantly, you are the Bringer of Hope. This, the universe will know."

Lance frowned. Was that good? What about the heroic exploits? The love of his life? The Bringer of Hope didn’t sound too awesome. How many Hope Bringers got statues and parades? None, that’s how many.

Tia Dalma seemed to sense his disappointment. “You are worthy, Blue Paladin. But the life you seek will not satisfy you for long. You must learn to See.”

Hmm. He pushed the thought aside and struck what he knew was a dashing pose (he’d practiced it in the mirror plenty, thank you very much). “What about the ladies? How many hearts am I going to break?”

Pidge got to her feet abruptly and Lance looked at her, bewildered. "What?"

"I'm tired of this. I'm going to wait outside."

He frowned as she stalked out, but Tia Dalma remained completely unfazed.

Uh... okay... then.

“So…” he drawled, flashing the Churrean a handsome smirk. “Ladies?”

"Your soul is bound." Sweet. So Pidge wasn’t the only one with a soulmate. "You chase after shimmering lights on the wings of _myerrscha_ with eyes that cannot see, but soon enough you will. She waits for you."

"I... What?" Lance frowned, his excitement fading. That didn’t make any sense.

Beside him, Hunk was suddenly trembling, making a high-pitched sound like a dying whale as he gestured around, mouth flapping wordlessly.

“Uh… You okay there, big guy?”

Tia Dalma suddenly bowed gracefully, forcing his attention back to her. "Thank you, Paladins. I hope my words have provided some guidance."

Hunk tugged him to his feet as she turned away, his eyes bright with glee. "Oh man, I can't believe you're...! Well, I can believe it because you guys have always been... But... Ah! I wish we could talk about this!" He was practically skipping, his hands waving around in meaningless excited gestures that only served to further Lance’s annoyance as they stepped out into the glittering snow-scape of Churrea.

"Look, I don't even know what you're... Oh, hey! Pidge!"

Pidge turned around to face him, an eyebrow raised in annoyance.

"What took you so long? I've been waiting for you."


End file.
